News Release

Interleukin-2 study for HIV/AIDS under way at Northwestern University Medical School and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Rush University Medical Center

CHICAGO --- Infectious disease researchers at Northwestern University Medical School and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center are conducting a study of an investigational drug in patients with HIV infection.

The drug, known as interleukin-2 (IL-2), is a T-cell growth factor that signals infection-fighting T cells to multiply. A recent study conducted in the United States, which included Northwestern University, showed that IL-2 increased T-cell counts by over 100 percent, compared to treatment with antiviral drugs alone, without increasing the amount of HIV in the blood.

###

Results of this study were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association and presented at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, in early July.

The principal investigator for the current IL-2 study at Northwestern is Robert L. Murphy, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Northwestern AIDS Outpatient Center. The principal investigator for the IL-2 study at Rush Medical College is Kimberly Smith, MD, assistant professor of medicine, section of infectious diseases.

To qualify for the study of Chiron Corporation's recombinant IL-2 study, participants must be HIV-1 infected and at least 18 years old; have been taking at least two antiretroviral drugs for at least six months; have a viral load of less than 10,000 copies/milliliter; have a CD-4 (T-cell) count between 50 and 299 and have had a limited history of AIDS-defining illness.

For information about the study at Northwestern, call (312) 908-9636. For information about the study at Rush, call (312) 942-5865

Northwestern News on the World Wide Web: http://www.nwu.edu/univ-relations/media/
Rush News on the World Wide Web: http://www.rush.edu/media

Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center includes the 809-bed Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital; 154-bed Johnston R. Bowman Health Center for the Elderly; Rush University (Rush Medical College, College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences and Graduate College); and seven Rush Institutes providing diagnosis, treatment and research into leading health problems. The medical center is the tertiary hub of the Rush System for Health, a comprehensive healthcare system capable of serving about two million people through its outpatient facilities and five member hospitals.

Contact: Elizabeth Crown at (312) 503-8928 or e-mail at e-crown@northwestern.edu
Broadcast Media: Stephanie Clemson at (847) 491-4888 or s-clemson@northwestern.edu



Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.